Sri Lankans into finals

DAN Christian's hat-trick at the MCG could not stop Sri Lanka from booking the last place in the triangular series finals and, in the process, voting India off the island.

In another thrilling finish, Sri Lanka scraped a win with five balls to spare. The nerveless David Hussey batted Australia to within a breath of victory but tried to clear the fence at long-off and was caught for 74 from 74 balls.

Hussey has been the outstanding batsman in the series, with 412 runs at an average of 82 and a strike-rate of more than 100.

His sixth half-century in eight matches couldn't quite get Australia home last night, and Sri Lanka's nine-run victory sent the big and vibrant Sri Lankan contingent in the crowd of 28,901 into raptures.

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The result means India's tour is over, while Sri Lanka gets to stay and contest the best-of-three finals series, starting with tomorrow's game in Brisbane.

''It's like playing in Sri Lanka,'' captain Mahela Jayawardene said after leaping into Kumar Sangakkara's arms to celebrate. ''We showed character, that's what we talked about in the team meetings.''

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Shane Watson and Mike Hussey steadied the Australian chase after a bad start. The inexperienced trio of David Warner, Matthew Wade and Peter Forrest were gone by the end of the fifth over, and the home side slumped to 3-26.

The senior pair restored calm with a partnership of 87 from 120 balls. Then, at the halfway point of the innings, Hussey got an edge on the medium pace of Lahiru Thirimanne and Sangakkara, standing up to the stumps, snaffled the catch. The tide turned.

Christian was the hero of Australia's bowling innings, becoming the fourth Australian to capture three wickets in three balls in ODIs, while also celebrating his maiden five-wicket haul at international level.

His achievement, in concert with a successful return to international cricket from James Pattinson (4-51), restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 238 in 50 overs.

The South Australian's moment arrived in the 44th over, 15 years after Anthony Stuart (now NSW coach) grabbed a slice of MCG history with an ODI hat-trick against Pakistan, and almost a decade after Brett Lee destroyed Kenya at the World Cup in South Africa.

His first victim, Thisara Perera was brilliantly caught at deep mid-wicket by Mike Hussey, who made the toss to himself to avoid stepping outside the boundary rope look routine. Sachithra Senanayake and Nuwan Kulasekara were given out lbw, although the latter was unlucky as ball-tracking replays showed the ball was missing leg.

Sri Lanka's batting was held together by Dinesh Chandimal, the 22-year-old slip of a batsman who has shone throughout the tournament.

If Virat Kohli is India's future, then Chandimal is unquestionably Sri Lanka's.

He produced his fourth half-century for the series, an impressive 75 from 84 balls, and shared with Sangakkara a partnership of 123.

Unlike Kohli, the Sri Lankan No. 4 batsman has not scored a century, and he was caught at mid-off trying to heave Pattinson over the infield in the 39th over.

Pattinson also removed dangerous former captains Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sangakkara.

The 21-year-old Victorian finished with his best figures in ODIs, but he was upstaged by Christian's 5-31.

Michael Clarke missed the match again because of his troublesome back, but he is expected to play in Brisbane tomorrow.

''As we have already qualified for the Commonwealth Bank series finals, we have taken the low-risk approach to Michael's return,'' said team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris.

''He will be available to play in Brisbane on Sunday.''

In Watson's second game as acting captain, the Australians were slow getting through their overs.

Lee, who has been playing with a broken toe, was rested to accommodate Pattinson's return.